Lumber-seasoning apparatus.



No. 733,835. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

B. B. GRAY.

LUMBER SEASONING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 91 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 733,835. PATENTBD JULY 14, 1903. B.'B. GRAY. LUMBER SEASONING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 9, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. 733,835. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

B1 3. GRAY.

LUMBER SEASON'ING APPARATUS.

AP'PLNIATION FILED 0019, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Tu: cams PETERS co, PHOTOLITHON wasnmnmu. D. c.

PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

B. B. GRAY.

LUMBER SEASONING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 9, 1902.

no MODEL.

Patented July 14, 1903- PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. GRAY, OF ,PINEBLOOM, GEORGIA.

LUMBER-SEASONING APPARATUS.

:QPECLFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 733,835, dated July 14, 1903. Application filed October 9, 1902. Serial No. 126,552. (No and:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BrGRAY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pinebloom, in the county of Coffee and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and usere lumber-seasoning apparatus; and the main object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus by which green lumber, or substantially green, is placed in the apparatus in one end and as it comes out of the other end of the apparatus it is cooled and thoroughly seasoned. The operation, taken in all, occupies a very short time as compared to most ways of seasoning generally used.

Another object of my invention is the proing-ohamber 4, and the cooling-chamber5. The boiling-tank is provided with the steaminlet pipes 6 in order that the water contained therein may be kept at the boilingstantially, of the three-walled shed or casing 7, having the floor 8, upon which is suitably mounted a series of heating-fluid pipes 9, said fluid being preferably steam. .These pipes are slightly inclined from the forward end of the chamber to the rear end in order that the condensed steam or, water may flow out at the steam-trap 11 and thus always allowing the free circulation of the steam through the pipes. The drawings being made on such small scale, the slight inclination of the pipes is not perceptible, as this chamber is-generally made from two hundred to six hundred feet longand the pipesareinclined just enough to allow the fluid to flow therethrough, so that they will not become clogged when the steam condenses. I prefer to use a series of substantially independent pipes; but I do not limit myself to them, for a worm or coil to pass into the cooling-chamber, where the lumber is properly cooled. At the outer end of this chamber the lumber is removed from the car 19, and the car is allowed to proceed 2o vision of alumber-seasoning apparatus which of pipes could be used with some satisfaction. is simple and durable in construction and Thecooling-chamber comprises substantially thoroughly efficient and practical in use. a three walled shed or compartment 12,

To attain the desired objects, the invention havinga bottom 13. Mounted in the rear end consists of an apparatus for seasoning lumof said chamber, so :as to cause a draft and 2 5 her embodying novel features of construction, to direct a blast through the chamber toward 7 5 substantially as disclosed herein. the front, is a rotary blower or fan 14, which In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis is provided with and operated by a suita side elevation of my apparatus greatly reable mechanism 15 from any desired source. duced to show the entire apparatus in opera- The beams 16, which are directly below the go tive position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectank and chambers, project upon one side tional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal thereof and have mounted thereon cross-tics sectional view of the boiling-tank enlarged. or rail-supports 17 for the tracks or rails 18,

- Fig. at is a similar view of the drying-ehamwhich are made continuous, so thatthey pass ber. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the coolingthrough the tank and chambers and around 5 chamber. Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on to the side thereof in an opposite direction, line w :0 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a sectional view so that they are ready after being loaded similar to that of Fig. 6, taken on line y 'y withlumber at the forward end of the appaof Fig. 4. Fig. Sis an enlarged section showratus to be conveyed intothe boiling-tank, ing the rails and steam-pipes of the dryingwhere they remain for about two hours, af-

0 chamber. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the enter which they are removed upward and ontire apparatus. ward into the drying chamber, remaining Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 there about nine hours, thus thoroughly drydesignates the base-line for the entire coning all of the moisture left in the lumber afstruction, upon which is mounted a suitable ter the boiling operation, but being at such a 45 framework 2 for the boiling tank 3, the dryhigh degree of temperature that the'y'have 9'5 5.0 point. The drying-chamber consists, subupon the outer tracks, to be loaded again with 10::

the unseasoned lumber. This process of seasoning lumber is more particularly described and claimed in my application for patent, filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 126,551.

'In order that the residue may be removed from the boiling-tank, which, by the Way,is provided with a cover 20, it is provided with an outlet-pipe 21, which is provided with a cut-ofi 22 near the bottom of the tank and another cut-0E 23. I use this construction so that the cut-0d 22 may be used and allow the withdrawal of all the residue from the pipes when it is desired to thoroughly clean the same. In order to facilitate the cleaning of the same, the bottom 24: of the boiling-tank is very slightly inclined toward the outletpipe 21, so that the residue will settle toward that end and be easily withdrawn from the tank. The inclination of the bottom is not perceptible in the drawings, as the boilingtank is generally made six hundred feet long.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that I provide a lumber-seasoning apparatus which is thoroughly efficient and practical in use and by the use of which the length of time required in seasoning lumber is greatly reduced and the process of seasoning lumber materially simplified:

What I claim as new is- 1. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a boiling-tank, a drying-chamber,a cooling-chamber,and a continuous track passing through the boiling-tank, dryingchamber, cooling chamber and returning upon the outside from the cooling-chamber to the boiling-tank.

2. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination ofa boiling-tank, a drying-chamber, a cooling-chamber and continuoustracks passing through the tank and chambers and around upon the outside thereof and lumbercarrying cars mounted on said track.

3. In a lumber seasoning apparatus, the combination of an inclosed boiling-tank, an inclosed drying-chamber in communication therewith, and an inclosed cooling-chamber in communication with the opposite end of the drying-chamber, and a continuous track passing through the tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the cool ing-chamber to the boiling-tank.

4:. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of an inclosed boiling chamber or tank, an inclosed drying-chamber in communication therewith, a heating mechanism mounted upon the bottom of the drying-chamber, a cooling-chamber at the opposite end of the drying-chamber, and a continuous track passing through the tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the cooling-chamber to the boiling-tank.

5. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination ofa boiling-tank, a drying-chamber having mounted therein heating apparatherewith provided with means for cooling the chamber, and a continuous track passing through the tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the coolingchamber to the tank.

6. In a lumberseasoning apparatus, the combination of a boiling-tank having means for boiling water therein, a drying-chamber having means for heating the same, a coolingchamber having means for cooling the same, a continuous track passing through the tank and chambers and returning upon the outside thereof, and lumber-carrying cars adapted to move upon said tracks.

7. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a tank having inclined run-- ways at its exit and entrance, a cover for the tank, a drying-chamber at the exit end of the tank, a cooling-chamber at the exit end of the drying-chamber, and a continuous track passingthrough the tank and the two chambers and returning also upon the outside of the tank and chambers.

8. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a boiling-tank, a drying-chamher and a cooling-chamber all located upon substantially the same plane and arranged end to end, and a continuous track passing from the boiling-tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the coolingchamber to the boiling-tank.

9. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a boiling-tank having entrance and exit inclining downwardly from above, a drying-chamber having its bottom above the bottom of the tank, a cooling-chamber having its bottom in the same line with the bottom of the drying-chamber, the tank and both chambers being mounted upon the same longitudinal framework, and a continuous track passing through the tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the coolingchamber to the tank.

10. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a boiling-tank having inclined entrance and exit leading from above, a cover for the tank, a covered drying-chamber contiguous to the exit of the boiling-tank, a covered cooling-chamber contiguous to the exit of the drying-chamber, all of said elements being arranged in the same straight line, and a continuous track passing through the tank and both chambers and returning upon the outside from the cooling-chamber to the tank.

11. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination of a longitudinal framework, a boiling-tank arranged at one end, a dryingchamber arranged intermediate of the ends, a cooling-chamber arranged at the opposite end, and a continuous track mounted in the tank and both chambers and returning upon the framework to one side of the tank and both chambers.

12. In a lumber-seasoning apparatus, the combination with a boiling-tank having anintus, a cooling-chamber in communication clined entrance and exit leading from above,

and a. drying-chamber contiguous with the exit of the boiling-tank provided with means for drying the lumber after it leaves the boiling tank, of a continuous track passing through the boiling-tank and drying-chamber and returning upon the outside to the boilingtank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN B] GRAY.

Witnesses:

J. S. BURNS, O. A. DAVIS. 

